Bloomington, Ind. – Students from Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington have collaborated with Cook Medical and Zumasys through real-life computer programming coursework on jBASE, a database management system used by manufacturers worldwide.
Zumasys, a cloud computing platform and owner of jBASE, challenged students with problem-solving projects that prepare the students for careers in manufacturing management at companies like Cook Medical.
“The partnership with Cook Medical and Zumasys creates opportunities for students to learn skills with immediate practicality in the workplace,” said Jennie Vaughan, chancellor at Ivy Tech Bloomington. “Our students are learning high-demand skills so they are career-ready on graduation day. This is not only important for the success of our students, but also further develops a skilled workforce in Indiana.”
Under the leadership of Dr. Diana Nixon, students wrote programs for employee time entry and customer order management through jBASE and demonstrated their programs in a presentation.
“Cook uses jBASE to manage many aspects of our business, such as inventory management,” said Dave Breedlove, vice president of information technology at Cook Medical. “Programs like this spotlight the power of community partnership. These students’ creative problem-solving on this program offers valuable insight. We need employees with jBASE experience, and these students show significant potential.”
Three students from the class will be offered an internship at Cook Medical, with potential for a full-time position after successful completion of the internship.
The program is part of the My Cook Pathway program, Cook’s award-winning education initiative for current and future employees to grow their careers within the company. Cook’s partnership with Ivy Tech to offer direct career pathways through Achieve Your Degree allows participants to earn a certificate in 10 programs including biotechnology, business administration, hospitality and various computing and informatics tracks at no cost to employees.
About Cook Medical
Since 1963 Cook Medical has worked closely with physicians to develop technologies that eliminate the need for open surgery. Today we are combining medical devices, biologic materials and cellular therapies to help the world’s healthcare systems deliver better outcomes more efficiently. We have always remained family owned so that we have the freedom to focus on what we care about: patients, our employees and our communities. Find out more at www.cookmedical.com, and for the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College (www.ivytech.edu) is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.